Neighbors

Toot! Toot!! My playwright friend from Ars Nova, Branden Jacob-Jenkins, would never toot his own horn, so I shall toot it for him. You are most welcome, sir. His play Neighbors is currently getting a Lab Production at the Public, and it is three hours and 15 minutes of black-faced, ballsy, dark, hillarious, horrible, wonderful SPLENDOR.

He brought the play into play group a few months ago and I pretty much became obsessed with it. It's this extremely contemporary / current exploration of Race. Basically, a black professor (with a white wife) becomes threatened when a family of hootin, hollerin, black-faced minstrel show performers moves in next door to him in the Suburbs. Amazing things are done to watermelons, baby dolls, and the psyche of all characters. I'll be honest: Like a true eternal sixth grader, I can be very easily made to feel threatened / insecure by a good play, but my excitement for this one truly transcends. Playing through March 7!